Gassing-machine.



J. 0. MQKEAN; GASSING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT,17, 1909.

Patented Feb.8,1910.

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J. 0. McKEAN.

. GASSING MACHINE APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 17, 1909.

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ANDREW a. GRAHAM COIFNUTDLU'MOGRAFHFRQ WASHINGTON. U

J. 0. MGKEAN.

GASSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SBPT.17, 1909.

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

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J. O. MGKEAN.'

GASSING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 17, 1909.

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JOHN o, MoKEAN, or WESTFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

GASSING-MAGHINE.

and useful Improvements in Gassing-Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to gassing machines such as are used for trimmingthreads by burning therefrom the loose projecting fibers.

The object of my invention is to improve the construction and mode ofoperation of machines of this class.

My improved gassing machine comprises a burner, a thread supply; meansfor drawing the thread from the supply past the burner so that thethread will be trimmed by the latter, and means for throwing the burnerinto and out of action. Any suitable means may be provided for throwingthe burner into and out of action. As herein shown, the burner issupported with provision for movement toward and from the threads whichextend from the thread supply to the thread drawing means, so that theburner can be shifted into and out of proximity to the thread or threadsto render it operative or inoperative. Means are also provided forcontrolling the operation of the machine, so constructed that, instarting the machine, the thread drawing means is started before theburner is rendered operative; and in stopping the machine the burner isrendered inoperative before the thread drawing means is stopped. In thisway the burner can act upon the threads only while the latter are inmotion and cannot injure the thread as it would if permitted to actwhile the threads are at rest. It follows from the above describedconstruction and mode of operation, that in stopping the machine alength of untrimmed thread will be carried past the burner while themachine is being stopped, and another length while the machine isstarting. In order that the untrimmed lengths of thread may be subjectedto the trimming action of the burner I provide means for shifting oradjusting the threads and burner relatively to each other, lengthwise ofthe threads, so that these untrimmed portions may pass the burner asecond time and be trimmed after the machine is again started and theparts in operative proximity. This repassing may be accomplished by anymeans which ad- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 17, 1909.

Patented Feb. 8, 1910. Serial No. 518,236.

vances the burner temporarily relative to the thread, in the directionin which the thread is being drawn, an amount equal to the untrlmmedlength. This is one feature of the invention, and particularly it is afeature to accomplish this by imparting a temporary reverse motion tothe threads, sufficient to set the untrimmed length of thread back ofthe burner again so that when the machine is again started the untrimmedlength will pass the burner a second time.

Other features of my invention are hereinafter pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings :Fignre 1 is a side elevation of a gassingmachine embodying one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of themachine shown in Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 1 are details of the machine shownin Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a gassing machineembodying another form of my invention. Fig. 6 is a section on line 66of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation of one of the windingrolls and its support. Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the driving drumand its support.

In the machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the thread drawing means, shown atA, comprises a thread winding roll 2 which is surface driven by a drum 3fast to a shaft 4, the latter journaled in uprights 5, 5 and 6. At itsends the roll 2 is made with pulley flanges 7 and trunnions 8, thelatter extending through guide slots 81 in the uprights 5. The trunnions8 are flattened at their outer ends as shown clearly in Figs. 3 and atfor the purpose described later.

The shaft 4 carries a fixed pulley 9 connected by a belt 10 with apulley 11 loosely mounted on a shaft 12 that is journaled in hearings onuprights 13.

The thread supply, shown at B, comprises a roll 2 which is preferablyidentical in construction with the roll 2 of the thread drawing means.The trunnions 8 of the thread supply roll 2 rest in open socketsprovided on uprights 15, with the flattened end of one of said trunnionsextending into a socket 16 provided upon the inner end of a shaft 17journaled in bearings on uprights 18. The shaft 17 carries a fixedpulley 19 connected by a belt 20 with a pulley 21 loosely mounted on theshaft 12. e The two pulleys 11 and 21 are arranged one at each side of athird pulley 22 loosely mounted on shaft 12, and a driving belt 23 isprovided which may be shifted onto any one of the three pulleys. Whenthe belt 23 is in engagement with the pulley 11 power is transmitted tothe driving drum 3 of the thread drawing means and the thread is drawnfrom the thread supply roll 2 over the burner shown at C and wound uponthe roll 2 of the thread drawing means. Since the roll 2 of the drawingmeans is surface driven by the drum 3 the rate of travel of the threadspast the burner C is constant and therefore the threads are uniformlytreated throughout their lengths, which would not be the case if theroll 2 were axially driven.

In order to maintain a proper tension upon the threads a brake strap 24is provided fastened at one end to one of the uprights 15, and extendingupwardly over one engagement of the strap 24 with pulley flange 7yieldingly retards the movement of the thread supply roll 2 so as toproduce the required tension on the threads.

W'hen stopping the machine the burner C is first lowered into aninoperative position and then the driving belt 23 is shifted from thepulley 11 to the pulley 22 which runs idly with all of the other partsof the machine at rest. The lowering of the burner C before the belt 23leaves the pulley 11 permits a portion of the thread to pass the burnerC without being acted upon by the latter, and in order to set back thisuntrimmed portion before the machine is again started, the belt 23 isshifted from the pulley 22 to the pulley 21. Power is then trans mittedthrough belt 20 and shaft 17 to the roll 2 of the thread supply in amanner to reversely rotate said roll and rewind thereon as much of thethread that has been drawn off as is necessary to shift the un-' trimmedportion back into a position from which it will pass over the burner asecond time after the burner is thrown into action and the machine isagain started ahead. During this reverse movement of the thread supplyroll 2 the weight 25 is automatically lifted to free said roll of thebrake strap 24 as described later.

Loosely mounted upon the shaft 4: and extending through one end of thedrum 3 as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 is a sleeve 77 made with a clutchmember 78 yieldingly pressed against the end of drum 3 by a spring 79bearing at one end against a flange 80 on sleeve 77 and at its other endagainst the end of drum 3. Sleeve 77 also carries a ratchet 81cooperating with a pawl 82 held against said ratchet 81 by a weight 83.The teeth of the ratchet 81' are set so that when the machine is runningahead and the thread is being wound upon roll 2 ratchet 81" turnsidly-under pawl 82, but when the machine is reversed and drum 3 isreversely rotated through the drawing off of thread from roll 2 thenpawl 82 engages ratchet 81 and holds clutch 78 against rotation withdrum 3 so thatsaid clutch acts as a friction brake to yieldingly retardbackward rotation of drum 3 and thereby maintain the threads undersuflicient tension to prevent them sagging into the flame of burner 3,not only while the machine is at rest, but also while it is being runbackward to set the thread back. When the threads Z2 have been set backsuflieiently belt 23 is shifted back to pulley 22 and weight 25 isautomatically freed. To resume the normal operation of the machine thebelt 23 is shifted from idler 22 onto pulley 11 and thereafter theburner C is brought into its upper'operative position relatively to thethreads.

The belt 23 is engaged by a forked shipper lever 26 pivoted at 27 to asuitable fixture and connected by a link 28 with an arm 29 fast on arock shaft 30. The rock shaft 30 has fastened to it another arm 31provided with a laterally extending fork or yoke 32 which embraces astud 33 projecting from an arm 34. The arm 34 is fast to one end of arock shaft 35 journaled in bear ings on the frame 0 which supportsburner C, and at its other end said shaft carries a hand lever 36. Fixedto the rock shaft 35 is a pair of levers 37 connected by links 38 withthe burner C and carrying weights 39 which counterbalance the weight ofburner C. To one end of the rock shaft 30 is fixed an arm 40 whose freeend occupies a position immediately below the weight 25.

\Vhen the hand lever 36 occupies a vertical position the belt 23 is onthe idler 22 and the machine is at restwith the burner C in itslowermost inoperative position. To start the machine the operator swingslever 36 to the right (Fig. 1) and the movement thus imparted to rockshaft 35 acts through arms 34 and 31, shaft 30, link 28, and shipperlever 26 to shift belt 23 from idler 22 onto pulley 11', and throughlevers 37 and links 38 to raise the burner G into its operativeposition. Since the belt 23 is brought into engagement with the pulley11 at the very start of this movement of hand lever 36 and the levers 37do not reach the limit of their upward movement until the end thereof,the thread drawing means A will be started in operation before theburner C is brought into operative position. To stop the machine thelever 36 is swung back to its vertical position again, and since thebelt 23 does not leave the pulley 11 until near the end of this returnmovement of lever 36, the burner C will have been lowered into itsinoperative position by levers 37 when belt 23 clears pulley 11.

In order to set back the u'ntrimmed portion of the thread which passedthe burner C while the machine was being stopped, the

operator swings hand lever 36 from its intermediate vertical position tothe left and the movement thus imparted to rock shaft acts through arms34 and 31, rock shaft 30, link 28 and shipper lever 26 to shift belt 23from the idler 22 to pulley 21, while the arm engages and lifts theweight 25 so as to release the thread supply roll 2 from brake strap 24.

The rolls 2 and 2 of the drawing means and of the thread supply are madealike so that they will be interchangeable and it is for the same reasonthat the trunnion of the thread supply roll 2 is detachably connectedwith the shaft 17 by the socket 16, the said socket being made, as shownin Figs. 3 and 4, with an open ended slot 41 with which. the flattenedend of the trunnion may be readily engaged or disengaged by bringingsaid slot into a vertical position. A segment 42 is provided for holdingthe hand lever 36 in its different positions.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the roll 2 of thethread supply B is supported in bearings 43 at one end of a carriage 44provided with rollers 45 mounted to travel on tracks 46. The frame 44extends under the burner G and at its opposite end carries threaddrawing means A. The burner G is mounted upon a stationary support 47between the thread supply and thread drawing means, and, as will beclear, the carriage 44 and parts carried thereby, may be shiftedrelatively to the burner C in a direction lengthwise of the threads toset back the untrimmed portion of the latter which passes the burnerwhen the machine is stopped.

The thread drawing means A is driven by a shaft 48 journaled in bearingsfixed to the floor. Collars 49 fixed to shaft 48 hold said shaft againstendwise movement when the thread drawing means is shifted with carriage44. The shaft 48 extends loosely through bearings 50 on carriage 44 andbetween these two bearings is a worm 51 splined to shaft 48 so as to berotated thereby but with provision for movement with carriage 44. Theworm 51 drives a gear 52 loosely mounted upon the main shaft 53 of thethread drawing means A, but said gear is adapted to be made fast toshaft 53 by a clutch 54 of ordinary construction. A rock shaft 55carries a clutch operating lever 56 splined to said shaft between twobearings 57 on carriage 44 so that said lever is free to move alongshaft 55 with carriage 44.

The burner C comprises a crosshead 58 mounted in vertical ways 59 on theburner support 47 and near its middle the crosshead is connected by alink 60 with an arm 61 fast on a rock shaft 62 journaled in bearings onsupport 47. To one end of shaft 62 is fastened a hand lever 63 by meansof which said shaft is operated. Fixed at its ends to the support 47above crosshead 58 is a transverse bar 64 on which is journaled a pairof pulleys 65, and over each pulley extends a belt or the like 66connected at one end to a weight 67 and at its other end to thecrosshead 58. These weights serve to practically counterbalance theweight of the crosshead and parts carried thereby.

Upon the top of support 47 are ournaled three transverse threadsupporting rolls or drums 68, one at each end of support 47 and one atthe middle. The drums 68 carr pulleys 69 for belts 70 whichconnect thetwo end drums with the middle drum so that all of the drums rotateuniformly.

The hand lever 63 is made at its lower end with an extension 71 formedwith a cam groove 72 into which extends a cam roll 73 provided at theouter end of an arm 74 fixed to shaft 55. The shaft 55 is journaled inbearings 75 on support 47 and is provided with collars 76 which hold itagainst endwise movement with carriage 44.

In the drawings the crosshead 58 is shown in its uppermost position withthe burner in operative relation to the threads and with clutch 54 setand the threads traveling from the supply B to the thread drawing meansA. When the operator desires to stop the machine he throws the handlever 63 from the full line position to the left and at the start ofthis movement the arm 61 and link 60 shift the burner into itsinoperative position and thereafter the cam 72 raises the arm 74 whichacts through the shaft 55 and clutch lever 56 to unset clutch 54 andstop the thread drawing means A. In starting the machine the operatorswings the hand lever 63 back to the position shown in the drawings andat the start of this movement the cam 72 acts to reset the clutch 54 andafter the thread drawing means has been thus started the arm 61 and link60 return the burner to operative position wit-h relation to thethreads.

It will now be clear that in both forms of my invention herein shown theburner C is in operative relation to the threads only while the threadsare in motion, the thread drawing means being started before the burneris brought into operative position in starting the machine, and theburner being withdrawn from the threads before the operation of thethread drawing means ceases in stopping the machine. Also that in bothforms of my invention the threads can be quickly set back in order totrim, by the action of the burner, lengths of thread which pass thelatter in stopping the machine, in one form of my invention as shownherein, by rewinding for a short length, the threads upon the deliveryroll and in the other form by moving the delivery and drawing rolls andthe threads extending between them, bodily, and thus carrying a lengthof the threads back of the burner.

In the form of my invention in which the two rolls and the threadsextending between them are moved backward bodily, a reverse movement ofthe parts is gradually eflected by hand after the machine is inoperation in order to give the mechanism capacity for rearward motionafter the machine has been again stopped.

WVhat I claim is:

1. A gassing apparatus comprising a burner and means to feed thread pastit, combined with means to temporarily move the thread backward past theburner, whereby some of the thread passes the burner twice in theforward direction.

2. A gassing apparatus comprising a supply roll having thread woundthereon, a roll and driving means therefor adapted to draw thread fromthe supply roll; a burner between the supply and drawing rolls; andmeans to temporarily reverse the functions of said rolls, making thesupply roll temporarily a drawing roll, whereby thread is drawn backwardby it and will be again drawn forward past the burner when the normaloperation is resumed.

3. A gassing machine comprising a thread supply; a burne; thread drawingmeans for drawing the thread from the supply past the burner;controlling means for starting the machine by first starting theoperation of the thread drawing means and thereafter rendering theburner operative, and for stopping the machine by first rendering theburner inoperative and thereafter stopping the thread drawing means, andmeans to provide for moving the thread backward relatively to the burnerso that when the machine is started the burner will trim the portion ofthe threadwhich passed said burner while the machine was being stopped.

4. A gassing machine comprising a thread supply; a burner; threaddrawing means for drawing the threadfrom the supply past the burner;controlling means for starting the machine by first starting-theoperation of the thread drawing means and thereafter rendering theburner operative, and for stopping the machine by first rendering theburner inoperative and thereafter stopping the thread drawing means, andmeans for operating the thread supply while the burner is inoperative toshift the thread backward.

A gassing machine comprising a thread supply; a burner; thread drawingmeans; means for operating the thread drawing means to draw the threadfrom the supply past the burner; controlling means for starting themachine by first connecting the drawing means with its operating meansand thereafter rendering the burner operative, and for stopping themachine by first rendering the burner inoperative and thereafterdisconnecting the thread drawing means from its operating means, andmeans for operating the thread supply while the burner is inoperative toshift the thread backward so that when the machine is started the burnerwill trim the portion of the thread which passed said burner while themachine was being stopped.

6. A gassing apparatus comprising a thread supply; means to draw thethread from the supply; a burner between the supply and thread drawingmeans; means to separate and bring together the thread and burner andcontrol the thread drawing means, and means to temporarily move thethread backward, whereby a portion of the thread is caused to repass theburner when the normal feed operation is resumed.

7. A gassing apparatus comprising a burner and means to feed thread pastit, combined with means to separate the burner and thread from operativeproximity and to return them thereto; means to stop and start the feedduring said separation; and means to move the thread backward past theburner during said separation whereby some of the thread repasses theburner upon said subsequent returning of the thread and burner tooperative proximity.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this ninth day of September,1909.

JOHN O. MoKEAN.

lVitnesses I OLIVER lVIITGI-IELL, J OSEPI-I T. BRENNAN.

